


When I'm Ashes

by Folkpunk



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Drunk Number Five | The Boy, Eudora Patch Lives, Family Bonding, Fix-It, Hurt Number Five | The Boy, Hurt/Comfort, No Incest, No season 2, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Number Five | The Boy-centric, Post-Season/Series 01, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protectiveness, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Underage Drinking, apocalypse is avoided, good brother klaus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25734349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Folkpunk/pseuds/Folkpunk
Summary: Five liked to believe he was immune to average problems, I mean he lived through the apocalypse. It doesn't matter if his siblings are telling him his drinking is an issue because he knows it isn't. However, added to the thirteen year old body it does create issues.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Eudora Patch, Dolores/Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Number Five | The Boy & Diego Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & The Hargreeves (Umbrella Academy), Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves
Comments: 18
Kudos: 284





	1. Do I have a problem?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, but I lauved Five. Also no one else was writing this fanfiction so I might as well. I will update soon, the next chapter the real conflict starts. Leave comments so I know what to fix or add. I don't own anything. Also this isn't beta read, so excuse the grammar and stuff.

Five sighed to himself as he lay near the bar in the Academy. It had been about a month since they saved the world. Five knew that it was over and the apocalypse never really happened, but he still felt hyper alert. His entire life he never had time to relax, to be a kid, to just be a normal person. He had no idea how to relax or any hobbies. An empty life he had no idea how to fill, except with alcohol. With that thought Five turned to look at the bottles surrounding him. There was less than when he first started drinking from there, much less. Klaus had been right when he told Five he had an addiction, without the apocalypse of some sense of urgency he had nothing. Replacing one addiction with another. Really healthy, he thought with a laugh. Dolores would have laughed at him for this. He spent a lifetime trying to find a way back to his family, but then he got there he just couldn’t live normally.

“How are you doing little bro? Looking a little strung out.” Klaus questioned as he walked into the livingroom. His skirt spinning slightly as he moved in a zigzag line.

Five sat up and started glaring at Klaus. “Fuck off Klaus I’m no ones little bro and if you call me that again I will throw my alcohol at you.” 

At that Klaus seemed to pause and look to his side as if listening to someone. Probably Ben, Five thought as he took another swig from his whiskey bottle. It burned in a way it hadn’t when he was older. In fact with this new liver he was already feeling the effects. Suddenly Klaus stopped his silent argument and turned to Five. Klaus gulped as he looked at five, “So don’t kill me for this gramps, but I think we might need a family meeting.” At this Five sat up straighter and glared at Klaus preparing to jump if this took a turn he didn’t like. It’s not that he didn’t like his family but he wasn’t good at emotions and Klaus' expression seemed to apply there would be alot.

“A family meeting about what, Klaus?” Five growled at Klaus while glaring in a way that would have made all his previous victims feel the weight of the time's best assassin. 

Klaus however seemed more or less unaffected and started walking towards Five with his hands up. His goodbye and hello tattoos catching Five's attention for a second. “So I’ve been talking to the rest of the family including Ben and we all are worried about you.” Five started to move in order to jump when he heard these words, but Klaus suddenly ran forward and grabbed Five, making it so he couldn’t jump in his current, less than sober condition. At the contact Five stiffened and grabbed Klaus' wrist. Klaus hurriedly started to explain before he lost an arm. “Okay, okay calm down. I’m only doing this because it was decided I would be the best with my amazing personality, and experience in this stuff.”

Five suddenly felt sick when he realized what Klaus was talking about. Vanya had already tried to broach the subject when he had showed up to her house last week drunk enough to throw up in her potted plant. “Klaus, if this is going in the direction I think it is I really will kill you.” 

Five tried to push Klaus off at that, but it seemed the alcohol had started to hit him harder than he thought. Stupid 13 year old body. Klaus started to laugh as if to ease the plausible tension now in the room. He was fiddling with his skirt when he started talking again in a calm tone, that only added to Five anger. “You know how great it was for me to get sober. I finally had a clear head and it let me even talk to Dave. Sure the highs I got were great, but the lows were really bad.” 

Five suddenly couldn’t stand to be in the room any more, he was not a child that needed his family to help him. He didn’t even have a problem. “How much of that was Ben telling you what to say because it sure sounded smarter than you ever were.” Five yelled, while pushing back enough to break Klaus’ contact. At this Klaus seemed to want to start taking again, but Five wasn’t having it. “I mean how long did it take you to get sober, l-like a hundred years and you think you can give me advice. I’m no ones fucking kid, so don’t treat me like one! You all are pathetic kids, I don’t have a problem- you all have the problem trying to decide what best for me!” 

Fives volume had started to reach screaming levels by the time he was done, and Klaus had started to move forward again. Five wanted to move, but it seemed pointless this was his spot. He had been here first. he took another huge drink from his whiskey and noticed it was almost empty. Weird he hadn’t drank that much, had he? Just then Klaus lunged to grab Five’s bottle. “It's for the best old men, even if I’m not sure, Luther will kill me if I let you run away now.” 

Klaus missed as Five jumped a few feet to the side, and then stumbled. A second later Luther, Allison, Vanya, and Diego appeared in the doorway. Almost as if they’ve been waiting this whole time. Or heard the screaming. 

Vanya stepped forward first upon seeing Five’s condition. “Please Five, Klaus is right. We don’t think of you as a kid, we just don’t want to see you hurt. We all love you.” 

At that Five paused for a moment to think. He felt cloudier then normal, but Vanya’s words still hit him. Then Luther moved towards him, his huge body blocking Vanya. “Vanya’s right Five, hand over the bottle. It’s two in the afternoon, and you’re already drunk. Not only that, but you started a screaming match with Klaus. I would expect that from Klaus, but not you.” 

At that Klaus made and offended noise, and turned towards the group. “Ben says only Vanya is helping and that Luther sucks at this.” Luther turned to glare at Klaus, while Diego used the distraction to run towards Five and grabbed his bottle. 

“Five this isn’t healthy even if you aren’t a kid you still have the body of one.” Diego lectured as Five turned to stare at his now empty hand. Maybe Vanya had said this was because they loved him, but it sure felt like they thought he was nothing but a 13 year old kid. Grabbing away his things. It was one thing when Dolores complained about his drinking, but these guys had no room to talk.

Five turned to sneer at them all, and when they saw this Vanya looked sad, as Allison finally started talking in a calming voice, that Five would have called her mom voice. “ Five calm down here, lets just sit down and we can get you some coffee. Then we’ll help you stop drinking. Your body is only 13 you need to start taking care of it better.”

Maybe Allison hadn’t meant to, but her tone of voice and her words just made Five feel even smaller than he was. Like he wasn't an assassin that had killed for less. Five jumped back to the bar as Diego let out a startled yelp from Five disappearing. Five grabbed another bottle, too fuzzy to really think about what he was about to do, turned, and threw it at a wall directly behind Allison's head. Allison threw up her arms around her head to protect herself from any fly away glass. Klaus and Diego let out a fuck at about the same time, as Vanya ran towards Allison to make sure she was okay.

Luther paused for a moment, then started yelling so loudly Five was sure his hearing was going. “What the hell is wrong with you Five we are trying to help you and you try to kill Allison. You really think you don’t have a problem after all that!” Luther’s face was red as he moved to five and grabbed his arm. 

“If I wanted Allison dead, she would be. Right now the only person I might want to kill is you. Maybe lock me up. We know how great that went for you before.” Five yelled back as he stood to get in Luther’s face, even if Luther was a foot too tall for it. Diego has his knives out as Luther went quiet for a moment, still grabbing Five’s arm.

"Come one guys, can’t we all just get along and maybe go to bed for the night. Talk this over later. We all seem sort of high strung at the moment.” Klaus commented glancing at both Diego’s knives and Luther’s grip.

Suddenly Vanya’s voice could be heard. “Are you okay Allison that looks like a bad cut?” It was coated with worry and Luther turned his head slightly to look. Allison had a cut on her arm bleeding onto the floor. 

Diego still holding his knives also turned. “We should get mom after to look at that, but I don’t think it's too bad.” At that Allison seemed to want to say something when Luther interrupted.

“ Not too bad! Five threw a whiskey bottle at her head like a psycho. He says he is an adult, but I’ve never seen him act like one. With those words Luther’s grip tightened more and the pain seemed to break through some of the clouds in Fives head. He looked at the mess he created and knew that Dolores would have killed him. 

Five wanted to just jump away and deal with this when he was sober, but instead he realized Luther wasn't letting go, in fact it seemed like it was just getting tighter. “Luther let go now.”

“Or what you’ll throw a bottle at my head. You seem a little far from the bar to do that.” Luther replied back.

“Luther calm down and let Five go. I'm fine.” Allison told him, holding onto her arm as Vanya looked conflicted to stay and help or find Grace. 

To the surprise of everyone else Five suddenly started swearing. His arm had started hurting more then he had been willing to admit, but now it seemed like Luther would actually break it.

“Luther put down Five’s arm, he isn’t gonna hurt anyone else, or I’ll throw my knife at you.” Diego moved closer, a knife in his hand.

Luther looked conflicted but stood his ground. “Do we know he won’t hurt anyone else? This isn’t like Vanya; she was confused and scared. I was wrong about that, but Five knows what he's doing.” 

Klaus was still on the other side of the bar and seemed to be talking violently with Ben. “Luther, buddy he didn’t really know. I mean he was drunk. Plus he's right if he wanted he would have hurt Allison, but all she has is a cut on her arm.” At Klaus' words Luther seemed to calm down a bit, and looked towards Allison who was shaking her head violently to get him to let go. 

“I’m fine Luther. Let go please.” Allison had both her hands up in order to calm Luther who finally looked like he was relenting when Five broke the silence.

“Luther normally I would kick your ass, but the alcohol seems to be hurting my abilities. So if you could let go because I think you're breaking it. I’m sorry Allison.” With these words Five began violently pulling his arm away, looking more like a child than most had ever seen. 

“Luther let go please.” Vanya yelled, and with that Luther relented. Still feeling guilt towards locking Vanya up, and now towards Five who was clutching his arm to his chest. Everyone was staring at him, and Five felt pain in both his arm and head.

He really felt like a child right now, and in everyone’s rush to see if his arm was okay or to get Grace, Five jumped. Maybe he did have a problem, but it wasn’t their problem. He could almost smell fire and see ashes in the air as he jumped. 

He just wouldn’t drink at home anymore. He couldn’t hurt anyone else. 


	2. If This is Living I Don't Want to be Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fight, Five leaves to be on his own. He knows how to be alone, and is sure his family isn't looking for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not great at the whole writing thins, but its fun. The new season was great, and I've loved the few comments I got. Hope everyone enjoys this emotional conflict, I'm pretty sure I suck at writing. Also please I'm wondering, should I do a Diego or Klaus P.O.V?

The alley Five had jumped into had some sticky substance on the bottom. Five hoped it was alcohol, that would be too ironic. The sun was still high in the sky, and only that really made Five consider what Luther had told him. It was really the middle of the day. He had been inside of the house for so long he wasn’t even sure if he knew the day. His family kept telling him they wouldn’t need them. But he couldn’t stop working on perfecting his equations.

Five moved his good arm to grab the one Luther had gripped. It hurt like hell and was definitely going to bruise badly. He sighed as he ran his hand up and down it, to check and see if it was broken. The relief was palpable when he realized it wasn’t. If Luther had broken it he would have needed a splint, and neither the hospital or Grace was an option. A drunk 13 year old with a broken arm might raise some questions from others. 

Five turn his gaze to the ground trying to avoid any of the people walking by the alley, hoping no one stopped him. The dumpster he was leaning on reflected the sun as he lowered himself to the ground. The pain and alcohol making standing still more difficult than Five was used to.

Five snorted as he tried to imagine what he looked like, a miserable abused kid, or a runaway most likely. It's not like that was too wrong. He did run away, just like he always did. Even when he was a kid he ran away from his family. HIs pride too much to even try and stay, to protect his other family. Both Dolores and dad would feel sick looking at him like this. A drunk grown man that couldn’t handle himself enough to not attack his sister for trying to help him. Maybe he was haunted by who he used to be. He had been a survivalist, focused on nothing but himself. Did he really kill to save his family, or was it for himself? A shell of a man that never had the chance to really grow up. 

Five shifted his weight as he glanced around again, trying to figure out what store he was behind. Hoping that maybe thinking about something else would distract from all the hate he felt inside. He wanted to direct that hate at Luther or his other family for making him feel like this, like a kid. 

He started staring at the sun, barely able to for more than a few seconds. His vision gained black spots. In some way it was how he was starting to punish himself. He couldn’t hate his family. Luther was right, what grown man acted like he did?

Suddenly he heard a sound behind him, in the dumpster. His current situation made it so his fighting would be severely impaired, so he prayed it was nothing. Then a black blur jumped in front of Five and he couldn’t help but teleport to the side of the dumpster in reflex. Embarrassment flooded him, when he saw it had been a black dog. 

The dog was dirty and much too skinny, without a collar. Five felt a connection to the dog, unwanted. Then he corrected himself, he hadn’t been unwanted. Five had made himself such a problem they couldn’t deal with him anymore. The dog moved slightly to the side as if smelling Five, and looked up towards him. 

“Hi dog, I bet you feel better than I do.” Five said softly to the mutt. Instantly he felt stupid, no amount of alcohol enough to numb that. In response the dog looked up at him, and shifted its head to the side, moving closer. Five mused that it once was probably a pet due to its lack of fear towards people. 

Five had been so distracted by the dog he hadn’t noticed the guy inching slowly towards him. The guy had been in the darker part of the alley watching Five for a few minutes, trying to figure out if he had any money on him. 

“Hey kid, cute dog you got there.” At the man’s words Five froze for a second, while the dog he had wanted to pet ran away. 

Damnit, Five thought. He had just wanted to stay here until his arm hurt less, or he was more sober. Now unless he wanted to kill this guy, or knock him unconscious he was going to have to move. Five was already annoyed from the man scaring the dog off, and even in his condition Five figured he could easily take this guy down. He was maybe fourty, had short greasy hair, plastered to his head. He had multiple layers and walked with a sort of limp. Overall not intimidating. 

Five shifted to face the man and tried his hardest to appear sober. “Fuck off before I use a rock to bash your head in.” Five threatened, feeling pretty confident he had been scary. 

The man backed up a step, seemingly surprised at how a young teen had just spoken to him. Five smirked at that before he saw the guy narrow his eyes, then smile back. His teeth yellow, and rotten. his mouth just adding to his look. The man started moving closer and Five felt something akin to fear. It didn’t make sense he was scared, but there was something different about a strange man approaching him in an alley while he was injured, to a target when he had a rifle. 

The man crouched down to get into Five face, at the same instant Five stood up. Even like this they stood around equal footing. Five was looking around for a rock to hit the man with, when he started speaking. “You know, I almost got scared there for a second, until I recognized why you looked so weird. You see I was watching you, wondering why a cute little thing like you was in this alley. I noticed your arm, and when you spoke it hit me. You weren’t hiding that drunkenness as well as you thought kid.” The man seemed pleased with his speech and stopped, as if to seem like he was thinking out something. Five felt a bit sick, knowing whatever this man would say would almost make him miss family meetings.

The man grabbed his chin and stroked his beard, as he voice came out in the same garbled tone. “Maybe kid, you and me could make a deal. I don’t think you're old enough to get alcohol on your own, and I don’t have the money to buy alcohol. Now this may sound bad, but I know a guy that would pay premium for a kid like you for a night. Then we could split the money, get alcohol and have a good night. With that arm it doesn’t look like you want to go home anytime soon.” The man smiled at Five like he had just helped write a new bible, and put his arm out to grab Five’s. 

Five jumped to where he had saw the rock, grabbed it with his good hand and jumped back, before the man could even process what had happened. The guy looked around and started to speak, “What the hel-.” 

Five kneed the man, then used the rock to hit him in the head hard enough to knock him out, or kill him. Five wasn't too concerned if it was the latter. Five gave his first real smile of the day as he looked upon the fallen man. It didn’t matter if his hand-eye coordination was shit due to the alcohol. He still was the best. Without checking to see if the man was alive Five threw the rock into the dumpster and started to walk away. No longer wanting to be in a hidden alley, on a dirty ground, being a sad drunk. 

He was a bad person, and that had confirmed it. It didn’t matter that the man deserved it because it hadn’t been the action that made him know this, but the feeling. After he had knocked the guy out he had felt alive. Even drunk he couldn’t get that feeling. He remembered feeling that high when he killed during his commission time. Maybe the alcohol wasn’t to numb the memories, but to stop himself from reliving them. To stop himself from feeling alive. 

Not for the first time Five wished he had lived a childhood with his siblings because then maybe he could have gotten these feelings from their love. At the moment he wasn’t sure he even knew what love felt like. With that final thought he turned onto the main street, trying to avoid all the people. He was going to find some empty motel to jump into. Just deal until he got some money, or be brave enough to apologize to his family. He scoffed at that. He would never be brave enough. 

He couldn’t be brave because just like love, he wasn’t sure what bravery was like. If this was what his living was like, maybe he didn’t want it. Maybe numbness would be better forever. He glanced at his empty hand and wished, even in his semi-drunk state that he had alcohol. 

He had hurt his family on alcohol, but they didn’t understand that without it he would never stop chasing the high of life, and that was more dangerous than anything the alcohol made him do. 


	3. The Dream of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego has Patch called him with an update about a man that claims he was attacked by five. Klaus and Diego investigate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaha sorry it took so long, I have online school now. I also forgot how much I don't like writing. Please forgive the many errors. Love you guys.

Diego P.O.V

Diego paced around the living room, and glanced at Mom to make sure she was treating Allison. He had been right, it wasn’t a bad cut, but knowing who had caused it put a pit in his stomach. 

“So am I the only one sort of worried about gramps?” Klaus was laying on the couch with his legs on top of Vanya’s. “I mean sure his time's best assassin or whatever he said, but he is a drunk 13 year old as well. Not to mention if he gets caught by the cops with that busted arm. I don’t want to get arrested for child abuse today.” 

Luther looked up at Klaus with that abuse line, his brows furrowed. “It wasn’t abuse Klaus, because Five started it.”

“Oh I didn’t realize you were a three year old. It doesn’t matter who started it, I’m not hurt and we need to find him.” Allison snapped back, suddenly standing and pulling her sleeve down to cover her bandage. 

Diego knew that Five had been going in a spiral, hell the whole house could tell, even Luther. It’s just that he never imagined that Five would do anything to any of them. At that Diego almost scoffed at himself, of course he attacked someone. He is an alcoholic with PTSD. Diego ran his fingers over his blades for comfort and decided to take charge. 

“Don’t worry guys he’ll be fine, and when he gets back we’ll talk to him-”

“Yeah because that went so well last time.” Luther interrupted, as Diego glared at him.

“As I was saying, we will find him because I talked to Patch, and if anything about a teenage boy in a school uniform comes up she will call me.” With that Diego turned from glaring at Luther and looked at Vanya.

“Ummmm, Vanya, you’re closest to him right? Would you know any place he would go?” Vanya stared at Diego in surprise for being asked that, and Diego couldn’t help feel his heart shatter a bit. 

“I don’t know. He sometimes went to my house drunk, but with this whole thing he properly will do everything not to be found.” Vanya replied with a slight blush at being called Five’s favorite.

Luther started grumbling at everyone as he went out of the room to do whatever he was doing before this. Allison and Vanya stayed on the couch to watch tv, while Klaus laid on them and started talking to himself. So Ben must have been around this whole time Diego mused. He was definitely upset at how that went. Diego went to go wait for Patch to call, and pretend he wasn’t freaking out. Even without the apocalypse Five had been having problems. Everyone had seen it. Yet Diego had ignored it, convinced that it was just Five. He hated himself for that, and despite his desperate plea to stop, he hated Five for causing problems again.

It had been about five hours when the phone rang, and it shook Diego from his nap. He fell out of his chair, glancing around for a minute, confused at the noise. Suddenly what had happened earlier hit him, and Diego grabbed his phone before his brain caught up.

“Hello, Patch is that you? Please tell me you heard something about him.” Normally pleading would make Diego feel queasy, but sue him he was worried. 

Patch’s voice started coming in sort of staticky. “Yeah Diego I have something, but I’m not sure it's about him, and I’m hoping it isn’t.”

“Why are you hoping it's not him?” Diego was growing scared.

“Someone called the cops about a homeless man that seemed to be bleeding. He woke up about half an hour ago, and wanted to file a report for a teen in a school uniform that attacked him with a rock. According to him the boy was cradling his arm the whole time, and get this, he was drunk.”

Diego let out a huge sigh, and fought the urge to strangle Five. A homeless person, really? What reason would Five have? “Yeah Patch, unfortunately that my brother.”

Diego heard Patch mumble something along the lines of of course he's your brother. “Well Diego for you I was able to hold off the other detectives. Please come by yourself and I’ll let you talk to him for about a minute, no longer.”

Diego couldn’t help but feel love feeling his heart, until he reminded himself it was not the time for that. “Thank you Patch, you're a lifesaver. What would I do without you?”

“Get arrested a lot for one thing, now hurry up, meet me at the main desk at Memorial Hospital.”

Diego ran down the stairs as fast as he could to get there. He felt bad leaving his siblings, but he couldn’t waste time, plus Patch said come alone. He jumped into his car, and started it all in less than a minute. If the situation hadn’t been so important Diego would have clapped himself on the back for his time. 

“The hospital right?”

Diego yelped and almost lost control of the car, when someone spoke up from the backseat. “Dammint Klaus what the hell are you doing in my car?’

Klaus unfolded himself and stretched out in the back, his black skirt highlighting his green top, as he leaned towards Diego. “Well my dearest brother Ben couldn’t help but worry for Five, so like a good brother he was waiting with you for the phone. When he told me about the call you got, it would have been criminal not to go to the car and wait for you.” 

It took a second for Diego not to want to punch the smug smile off of Klaus ' face. “That's so kind Klaus, but did you have to give me a damn heartache?”

With that Klaus relaxed. “I couldn’t help it, I'm a dramatic person. Oh and Ben says drive faster or we’ll miss the dude Five maimed.” 

Diego swore he was going to get an aneurysm. “Five didn’t maim anyone he just knocked the guy out, I’m sure there was a reason.” 

“Yeah alcohol.” Diego then heard Klaus say a sorry to Ben, but with his eyes on the road Diego couldn’t tell if Klaus meant it.

The next few minutes were driven in silence by the odd interruption from Klaus. When they finally got to the hospital they both dashed out of the car. Diego almost forgot he needed to park it. 

“Okay Klaus, I’m going in and you stay out here.” Diego ordered Klaus, praying for it to stick.

“No way Jose. I’m going in.” Well there went Diego hopes. Klaus looked nothing like a cop with his outfit, this was already a mess.

Walking in the hospital doors, and into the waiting room Diego looked around until he saw Patch sitting in a chair near the doors to the hospital wings. 

“Oh look it's your cop girlfriend, let's get the interrogation under way.” Klaus ran away before Diego could warn Patch, and he saw her glance at him before turning her eyes to Klaus, eyes that quickly started glaring.

“I thought I said only you Diego, and that is definitely not you.” Patch said as soon as Diego was in hearing range. He couldn’t help the blush that raised on his cheeks as he was scolded. 

“Look Patch I’m sorry but he hid in my car like a crazy person, I couldn’t get him out. Also Five is his brother too.”

“Plus Diego could never look this good in a skirt.” With that both Diego and Path started to glare at Klaus as he shrugged.

Patch grabbed her head as if she had a headache and relented as she led them towards the man’s hospital room.

As they got to his door Patch grabbed Diego’s arm. “Please don’t be too rough, he has a really bad concussion caused by being hit in the head with a rook.”

Klaus snorted, “yeah sounds like Five.” But Diego could hear the worry in Klaus’ voice as he glanced at the man in the room through the window on the door. 

“I promise Eudora, in and out.” Diego paused as he registered he had called her by her first name, but Patch didn’t seem to notice as she looked around the hallway. 

“You owe me big Diego.” With those words Diego and Klaus opened the door and went in.

An older man was lying in the hospital bed, his heart monitor holding a steady beat. His hair hung around his face, and a large gauze was wrapped around his head. He looked at them as they came in. “Are you more cops here to help me get that little bastard?” 

Diego sighed in relief it seemed the concussion was helping make them look less suspicious. Hopefully it would also let them get more information from this man.

“Yes we are here to discuss the boy. Can you please tell us the story again.”

The man glanced at Diego once more before talking. “I was just hanging out in the alley down in Fifth Street, when suddenly this kid showed up. Similarly out of nowhere. The weirdest thing was he was wearing this strange school uniform, and some shorts. It's hard to remember accounting on the concussion, but he was playing with some mutt. He seemed hurt, and was holding his arm, so like a good citizen I went to help him. I must have scared off the dog, so the kid threatened me, and seemed drunk. I talked to him for a second and he hit with a rock. The doctors told me this was because of the head injury, but the weirdest part was that I swear he teleported to get the rock. As you can see he was a certified psychopath.”

To Diego it seemed like this man was talking out of his ass. Glancing at Klaus he saw the same thing reflected in his eyes, this man was hiding something. 

Klaus stepped forward, “So a random kid attacked you for scaring away his dog. A random man in the alley that could have had a weapon. Seems strange to me.”

At this attention the man grew uncomfortable and started to squirm in his bed. “I’m the victim here, all I did was talk to him. Not my fault if he was sacred from some abusive home that fed him alcohol.” 

Those words hit Diego, but the way this man wouldn’t tell them what he had been talking to Five about, worried him.

“What did you say to him?” As he asked this Diego took at a knife, and made a show of threatening the man. 

The guy on the bed gulped, and looked around, then at Klaus for help. “I would tell him my partner doesn’t have great anger management” 

The man started glancing at both of them, his heart monitor growing faster. His eyes still seemed cloudy from the head injury. Cloudy enough where he couldn’t think of a lie in time to save himself, from what he believed to be a death by knife.

“I’m sorry man he just looked cute, and I knew a guy that would have paid so much for him. It was a win win, money for both of us. Then he got angry like it was my fault that little shit was in the alley, and drunk in the middle of the fucking day. I was sure he couldn’t have fought back with that injury then he teleports.” Seemingly remembering who he was talking to the man tried to back track but it was too late.

Diego was no idiot; he knew what the man was implying he tried to do to his baby brother. Maybe he wasn’t really 13, but he seemed to have that maturity and the thought of propositioning him made Diego feel sick. Klaus seemed to have frozen next to him, his eyes glancing to the left. Ben no doubt was fuming.

With out thinking Diego let the Knife fly and hit directly next to the man’s head, his expression helping calm him. Before he could speak Klaus started talking, “If you ever try that was another kid again we will know, and hunt you down.”

Diego knew he needed to leave fast, before he killed this man, and he grabbed Klaus as he walked out. 

Patch was at the door, and seemed confused when she noticed how angry both the men leaving looked. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you one think that fucking pedo is no victim, and I threw a knife at him.” Diego growled back.

Patch looked startled at the pedo thing, and ignored the knife part. “I’m sorry I didn’t know anything like that happened when I called you done.”

“It’s not your fault we just need to leave and start looking for Five at the alley the guy was talking about.” Klaus responded with fake enthusiasm. “At least it's a lead.”

As they both walked back to the car Diego realized an important truth, it didn't matter how old Five was because to the family he would always be the baby brother. Not only that, but he hadn’t aged like them. Five had almost no social skills from the time stuck in the apocalypse, that never even happened. He was a shitty bastard, but lived his whole life looking for a way back to them. 

They had to find him, and help show him the home he never had. 


End file.
